"Playing around with smaller canvases lately – it feels like a shortcut to more projects and quicker learning. Swapped out my daily sketches for a week to dive into this 8.5"x11" oil painting, a solid 6-8 hours of work. It's one of those 'not completely happy, but done' situations. Smooth Bristol Board, limited palette with Ultramarine blue, some mysterious red, yellow, and white. No black.
When it comes to exploring color on a smaller canvas, my game plan involves simplifying the form, moving fast with the broadest brush I can find. The real challenge, though, is in the mixing – an area I admit needs more practice. I'm chasing efficiency in expression and shapes, trying to find that sweet spot.
I'm not entirely sure what each of these projects teaches me, but I figure everything's a step forward or at least nudging me in the right direction in the grand scheme of things."
